Your Web 2.0 Review Series #3: Podcasting Software and Services

This is the third in a series of forum posts asking for feedback on the software and services around the different categories of Classroom 2.0 programs. This time it's podcasting.

What hardware do you use to record your audio?
What programs or services do you use to record your audio?
What programs or services do you use to edit the audio?
Where do you host your recorded audio files?
What service do you use to manage your feed?
What programs, services, or hardware do you use to *listen* to other podcasts?
Is there an important aspect to podcasting that we missed asking about?

And, as before: Which are your favorites tools and why? What features are important to you? (If you're feeling verbose) What are the pros and cons of the programs you've tried?

Hopefully, these discussions will provide an unparalleled reference for new users making choices about what tools to use.

I started a podcasting project last year called the Brookline Book Review Podcasting Project. Kids K-8 wrote, recorded and posted their podcasts. We used Garage Band to create the podcasts and posted them on our Web Server. Here is a little more about the project: http://web20ineducation.wikispaces.com/Elizabeth+Davis

This year I have changed jobs - I'm working at a high school and haven't yet been able to recreate this project. However, I did just do some podcasts with an English teacher and a group of "lower level" 9th grade boys. They wrote vignettes about life changing moments, recorded them and added music and sound effects. The kids LOVED it. It was so inspiring to see them so excited about the project. Ironically, only one boy was willing to share his podcast Online. I'll be posting it soon. I'm also putting together a wiki with my podcasting resources. I'll check back when they are done.

My company (Box Populi: http://www.boxpopuli.com) makes a simple audio or video podcasting device. You simply plug in a USB key and start talking, then remove the key to publish to your students. Our goal is to make it so anyone can podcast, even those that know nothing about technology. This is an interface that anyone can use, because there is no software to learn. The device can actually be created for free: if you download the CD-ROM image from our website and burn it to a disk, you can take any old computer and convert it into a podcasting device that is ultra simple to use. The software is entirely open source, licensed under the GPL. We do also sell the devices preinstalled on new hardware, and we offer hosting for podcasts. These devices are in use at lots of colleges and universities around the country, and a few high schools as well. Because production time can be high for video and even audio, our devices are great as they reduce or even eliminate post production time. I wrote a blog entry on the costs of production here: http://corp.boxpopuli.com/openminded/?p=23.

Our grade 6 students in Victoria, Australia, are involved in a major project with our Department of Education to develop podcasts. We use either desktop microphones or cheap verbatim headsets with a microphone attached. We have experimented to get the sound a little better with usb 3D sound to give a more stereo effect. The desktop mics which cost approx $A35 tend to give better quality audio and reduce the background noise as our students tend to all be recording at once.
We bought a sony mp3 recorder which was quite expensive and found we could not import the files it saved them as, into either audacity or Sony Acid. Luckily, we had interviewed some elderly people about their memories with an old dictaphone recorder as well, so we played back the files from the dictaphone into a microphone and inputted the audio that way. Amazingly, It came up well.
We use audacity and Sony Acid 3.0 to record audio. The more capable students prefer the easier to use, manipulate and more advanced features of acid. It also comes with some wonderful music loops and sound effects. The video podcast is produced through MS Moviemaker or Sony Vegas.
We use podomatic to host the few completed casts and have placed them on our class blog temporarily.
At the moment we use iTunes for listening but we are still experimenting with the final hosting etc and I have enjoyed this discussion to help me with finalizing and hosting the final product.
I like podcasts and enhanced podcasts, because students can give a professional finish to the product with music loops, background audio, sound effects, voice effects, interviews, images, etc and once they are over the "I dont like my voice's sound" find it an interesting and a highly motivating project.
Students are working on podcasts for our local volcanic region and volunteer volcano discovery centre and the older students are producing enhanced podcasts for the existing history trail which exists in our small town, capturing the senior citizens memories as they go.
I was wondering if we use podomatic or other hosts and upload too many podcasts, will there be a cost attached to do so as I am about to upload a lot of casts soon.

This year I decided to take students mathematics test on sharing about their math projects through podcast. I used an open source tool Audacity for recording their voices. Through this tool editing of voice is also done. I have uploaded their sharings on www.mykhmsmathclass.mypodcast.com .Earlier I had downloaded mypodcast recorder from the site www.mypodcast.com. It also works fine.But you cannot edit anything.
Its a great experience teaching-learning using this technique. Students are also excited about this.
Rashmi

I use photostory which allows students to create slide shows, do voice overs and add music. It is free software and saves as a windows medio file. I post them on Teacher tube and either post the links to teacher tube or embedd the player on my wiki.

The kids love seeing their projects on teacher tube- and it save space on my server!

What hardware do you use to record your audio?
I use Logitech headset (mic and headphone combination) to record my audio. Very cheap.

What programs or services do you use to record your audio?I started in podcasting in Audacity. Currently i am creating screencasts with Camtasia Studio and I really like it!

What programs or services do you use to edit the audio?Camtasia allows me to edit.

Where do you host your recorded audio files?I originally was hosting them on our school server. In October I launched www.masterymaze.com and now have them in the Subjects section of the site. They are also available through iTunes as MasteryCast.

What service do you use to manage your feed?We are using Feedburner.

What programs, services, or hardware do you use to *listen* to other podcasts?
I also use iTunes for all of my podcast listening. I agree it is very easy and convenient!

Is there an important aspect to podcasting that we missed asking about?The podcasts on my site are created by me as a review tool or "masterycast". My site has download capability as well. The key for me has been the students ability to "take them" with them and listen to them at their leisure as they would anything else. The repetitive nature of it has helped many of my special education students stay in school as they feel they have a chance with the help of the podcast. We have also purchased inexpensive mp3 players for students to take home "pre- loaded" to study. We have been able to take advantage of the "plug in" power of the iPod to help kids learn. I'm just another song on their player. :)